The original “Helicopter Mom”
I’ve been reading The Iliad and have been struck by its relevance to modern life – pretty amazing for a work that is over 2500 years old. Once you find a translation that you like and get used to the long lists of warriors (including background information on each), the gory violence, the repetitiveness and the elaborate similes, you find that compelling universal themes begin to emerge. Besides the big issues of the meaning of life, the role of fate, and the importance of a moral vision, there are amusing and insightful descriptions of normal human behavior. For instance, the Goddess Thetis in her constant watchfulness and ceaseless meddling to benefit her son, the great warrior Achilles, resembles the ‘helicopter Moms’ of today. {If you haven’t heard this term, it refers to those mothers who are always hovering overhead “with the ferocity of a red-caped, flying squirrel” to quote an internet definition (the site also has an amusing quiz)}. more »
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